Apparatus for flattening glass



April 15, 1924.

' L. E. STEWART APPARATUS FOR FLATTENING GLASS Filed June 14, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Gama April 15 1924. 1,490,521

- E. STEWART APPARATUS FOR mnmnme GLASS Filed June 14. 1923 '2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I 2 a 1,5 21 7 2 Ll gmento'a aaaa Apr. 15, 1924.

warren stares LAURENCE E. STEWART, GE BRADFORD, PEIINSYLVANIA.

, arrnna'rus For. rnatrrnnrne crass.

Application filed. June 14, 1923. Serial No. 645,334.

1 '0 all whom it may concern: v

Be it known that I, LAURENCE E. STEWART, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Bradford, in the county of McKean and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Flattening Glass; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art'to which it appertains to make and use the same. This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for. flattening glass shawls and which is adaptable for use in conjunction with heating, flattening and annealing apparatus such as disclosed in co-pending application for patent filed by Hugo J. Walter and Laurence E. Stewart on the fourteenth day of June, 1928, and designated by Serial No. 645,365. I

One object of my present invention is to provide simple and eificient mechanical appliances which may be readily controlled and operated by unskilled labor to flatten and smooth a glass shawl, and reduce the cost of shawl flattening operations to a minimum.

lVith this and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts and devices as hereinafter set forth and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings,-

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a flattening and rubbing or smoothing mechanism embodying my improvements.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the same, and

Figure 3 is a plan view.

It is to be understood that the glass shawl to be flattened will be properly heated and preferably mounted on a smooth heated support (not shown) butwhich may consist of a carrier movable through flattening and annealing oven chambers as fully disclosed in the co-pending application above referred to.

A truck 1 is located on suitable trackways 2 in proximity to the supporting or containing means for the glass shawl to be flattened. When the mechanism is used in conjunction with a flattening oven as dis closed in the said co-pending application, the truck 1 and traclrways 2 will be located in proximity to the furnace.

The truck 1 is provided with suitable trackways 3 disposed at right angles to the trackways 2 for the accommodation of a carriage A on which the mechanism for operating the flattening member is supported. For moving the truck 1 and the mechanism mounted thereon toward and from the structure by which or in which the glass shawl to be operated upon is located, I provide a motor in the form of a jack 5, the movable member of which is connected by a rod 6 with the truck 1.

A mast 7 is pivotally connected at its lower end withthe carriage i. A beam 8 is pivotally mounted between its ends at the upper end'of the mast 7 and a flattening and rubbing or smoothing block 9 (preferably of cedar or bass wood) is pivotally connected through the medium of a suitable holder 10,

annealing oven of such 7 with the free end of the long arm of said beam 8., The flattening block 9 and long arm of the beam 8 may be counterbalanced by means of a weight 11 on the short arm of said beam. An air jack 12 is secured to an intermediate portion of the mast 7 and the movable member of this jack is connected by a flexible device 13 (passing over a pulley 14) with the short armof the beam 8 for the purpose of raising the longer arm of said beamand the flattening and smoothing or rubbing block carried thereby.

Suitable standards 15 are located on the carriage t and in the upper ends of said standards, bearingsare provided for a horizontal shaft 16 provided with a crank arm 17, which latter is connected, by an adjustable pitman 18 with the lower portion ofthe mast so that when said shaft is rotated, the mast will be oscillated and the block 9 reciprocated. A motor 19 is located on the carriage 4; and the shaft of this motor is provided with a worm 20 meshing with a worm wheel 21 on the shaft 16 for rotating the latter. The shaft 16 also carries a worm 22 which meshes with a worm wheel 23 suitably mounted on the carriage i and this worm wheel is connected by means of a pitman 24 with a post or standard 25 fixed to the truck 1. From this construction it will be seen that when the motor 19 is operated, the mast will not only be oscillated to reciprocate the block 9 but that the carriage 4 will be reciprocated in a direction at right angles to the reciprocation of the block 9, so that said block will be moved over all portions of the glass sheet toflatten and smooth the same uniformly.

Operation of the jack 12 will cause the flattening and smoothing block 9 to be raised and then by the operation of the jack 5, the truck or carriage 1 will be moved in a direction which will cause said block to be disposed over the said shawl. By causing the jack 12 to operate in the reverse direction, the block 9 will be lowered upon the glass shawl and it will be moved or rubbed over all portions of the same by the mechanism hereinbefore described for this purpose, and the glass member will be uniformly flattened and smoothed. After such operation, the jack 12 may be again oper ated to effect the raising of the block 9 and the jack 5 may then be operated to move the truck 1 and withdraw the mechanism. The mechanism may then be operated to lower the block 9 into a coo-ling bath.

The various motor devices may be controlled by any suitable means to cause them to operate in proper sequence or each may be controlled by suitable manually operable means, as may be desired.

Various changes might be made in the details of construction of my improvements without departing from the spirit of my invention or limiting its scope and hence I do not wish to restrict myself to the exact details herein set forth.

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In apparatus of the character described, the combination with an oscillatory mast, of a flattening and smoothing block connected therewith, a movable support for said mast, means for reciprocating said support, and means for oscillating the mast in directions at an angle to the directions of movement of said reciprocating support.

2. In apparatus of the character described, the combination with a support and means for reciprocating the same, of an oscillatory mast mounted on said support,

means for moving said truck, of a support -mounted on said truck to reciprocate, a

mast having pivotal connection at its lower end with said support, a beam having pivotal connection with the upper end portion of said mast, a flattening and smoothing block having pivotal connection with one arm of said beam, a counterweight on the other arm of said beam, motor means connected with said last mentioned arm whereby the beam may be oscillated to raise or lower said block, means for oscillating the mast, and means for reciprocating said support in directions at an angle'to the directions of movement of the oscillatory mast. V i r I 4. In apparatus of the character described, the combination with areciprocatory support, of an oscillatory mast mounted on said support, a beam pivotally connected with said mast, a flattening and smoothing block pivotally connected with said beam, means whereby said beam may be moved on its pivotal connection with the mast, a shaft carried by said support and provided with a crank, a pitman connecting said crank with the oscillatory mast, a motor mounted on said support, gearing between said motor and shaft, a post sup-- ported independently of said support, a gear wheel mounted on said support, a pitman connecting said gear wheel with said post, and a gear carried by said shaft and meshing with said gear wheel. 7

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LAURENCE E. STEWART.

IVitnesses THOS. E. COLLINS, -J. B. ANGLOCH. 

